Curriculum Provision

What does your child learn at school each day? Find information about our curriculum subjects here.

At Heather Avenue Infant school we offer a broad and balanced curriculum. The children are taught through a range of exciting themes which cover all subjects embracing the September 2014 National Curriculum.

The Arts maintain a high profile within our curriculum which has resulted in us achieving Arts Mark school status.

We also focus on Sustainability which is taught across the curriculum to support our belief in ensuring that our pupils are aware of, and are respectful of, environmental issues. Our achievements have been recognised through the Eco Silver Award and our Green Flag Award.

Additionally we have brought global and cultural facets to our curriculum by focusing termly on specific countries. This has resulted in us achieving 3 International Awards from the British Council.

English

We believe that good communication skills are of prime importance. Our children develop expertise in speaking, listening, reading, writing and drama during daily literacy sessions linked to the requirements of the National Curriculum. We aim to achieve very high standards of literacy throughout the school.Reading
Our pupils learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and non-fiction texts. The children have individual 'next step' targets to support their reading progress. Guardians are essential partners in the learning process as they share books with their children and help to promote a true love of reading.
The children are introduced to reading using Read, Write Inc. Phonics and Reading, and the Oxford Reading Tree Scheme of books. Children move on to kaleidoscope book bands as they become more established readers. Children receive a daily phonics session.Writing
The children are taught to enjoy writing and see the value of it. They learn to communicate meaning in narrative and non-fiction texts and spell and punctuate accurately. Specific targets are used with each child to aid this development. The school follows Ros Wilson’s “Big Writing” method in this area.

Maths
Mathematics is taught by daily discrete lessons ensuring full coverage of the revised 2014 Curriculum requirements. All teachers ensure that mathematical skills are also used and explored when the application of cross curricular approaches are used for topic work.
The children have the opportunity to practise and consolidate their skills and knowledge and to develop and extend their techniques and strategies. They do this through both exposition and discussion as well as through practical and investigational activities.
Annually we hold a Maths Day when the children work in mixed age groups. This enables them to experience working with different children - supporting the younger and learning from the older children

P.E
Currently in school we are providing children with a varied P.E curriculum. Children take part in, at least, 2 timetabled hours of P.E each week with extra curricular clubs available after school.

How we plan to extend our P.E provision with the Sports Premium.

Working alongside professional coaches to extend the children’s skills and consolidate and extend teachers knowledge and practice.

Whole school celebration events at the UEA Sports Park.

Developing links with the UEA Sports Park.

Providing children with a wider range of sporting clubs by training staff in gymnastics and providing a gymnastic club.

Introduce new sports to the children to widen their knowledge and experience of sport.

Be active members of the School Sports Partnership in the Hellesdon Cluster, taking part in inter school festivals and competitions, accessing support and CPD opportunities.

Science

Through scientific enquiry, children develop the skills of observation, investigation, recording and analysis of information. By engaging in practical activities, they are taught to plan, predict and hypothesise; always thinking carefully about what makes a fair test.
We have an annual science day where the children complete a variety of science activities in mixed age groups.
The gardens and wild areas in our grounds are used to enhance learning about the natural environment.

Computing

The children are taught to use computers and the Internet to find things out, to develop ideas, to make things happen, to exchange and share information and to review, modify and evaluate their work.
E-safety is of paramount importance and we deliver a range of E-safety lessons throughout the year in line with curriculum recommendations.
There are computers in each classroom and all classes are connected to the Internet. Each class has an Interactive whiteboard and access to a set of laptops and Ipads for whole class use. The children are taught to create, modify and debug simple programmes and use a range of ICT equipment to develop coding skills.
Children also have opportunities to use digital cameras, video cameras, computer based microscopes and visualisers to support their work in all aspects of the curriculum.

History

Our study of History aims to fire the children's curiosity about the past.
They learn about people’s lives and life styles. They find out about the significant men, women and events from the more recent and distant past, encompassing those from both Britain and the wider world. Year 2 children also focus on the Royal Family.
The children are encouraged to listen and respond to stories and use sources of information including artefacts, to answer questions. They learn, in increasing detail, as they pass through the school, how the past is different from the present. Children are taught key historical vocabulary including past, present, now and before.
We encourage children to acquire a real sense of the past and of the changes that are brought about during the passage of time. We teach them how these changes have affected the daily lives of ordinary people.

Geography

Our children are taught to ask geographical questions about people, places and environments and learn geographical language to support this.
They use geographical skills and resources such as maps and photographs. They are encouraged to carry out geographical enquiry inside and outside the classroom.
During the year the children learn about different countries through the medium of international weeks. They learn about their own and other cultures and enjoy visits from people from all walks of life.

Art

As part of our creative curriculum we aim to foster an understanding and enjoyment of art, throughout the school, where children make increasingly informed and creative choices of tools and techniques for a given purpose.
The children learn about a variety of artists and use their work as inspiration for their own. In each class children work independently and collaboratively to produce 2D and 3D displays. Annually We hold an 'Open Studio' event where all children showcase some of their fantastic art work.

Design and Technology

Design and Technology is taught as part of our creative curriculum in a cross curricular way linking to class themes.
Children work on a variety of projects; they create designs, make prototypes using construction equipment and other materials, make their finished product and evaluate their work. They do this using a variety of tools and techniques.

Music

We believe Music is very important and we actively promote children's musical development.
At Heather Avenue we use music to enhance personal and social skills, cultural awareness, creative and expressive development and co-ordination skills.
Children are taught to create music, to listen to and appraise music and to perform. In addition children are involved in a weekly sing-a-long session, and we offer a range of music clubs. These currently include the school choir and belleplates club. We also have a peripatetic piano teacher who visits the school twice a week, to give those children who wish to learn an excellent basis for future development in music.
We are always eager to broaden our horizons in the music department, and participate in local musical events, including the Norfolk County Music Festival, as well as holding various musical events throughout the school year and inviting professional musicians into the school.

RE

We believe that moral and spiritual education is part of all children’s emotional wellbeing and ties in with elements of religious education.
We teach Religious Education in accordance with the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus 2012. It is by law required to be of a multi-faith nature whilst reflecting the mainly Christian traditions of the United Kingdom.
We have daily acts of collective worship which are broadly Christian in nature.
We aim to help children develop beliefs in line with our school vision “To prepare children for a bright future in a changing world”.
Guardians have the right to withdraw children from Religious Education lessons and from Collective Worship. Should any guardian wish to exercise this right, they should make appropriate arrangements with the Head teacher.

PSHE

PSHE lessons are taught in order to promote the emotional, social and health development of children and young people. It includes:
• The acquisition of information on a range of health issues that are relevant to their age, maturity and understanding including emotional health and well-being, relationships, diet and exercise and safety.
• The development of emotional and social skills including skills for learning, achieving, managing change and looking after health.
• The exploration and clarification of values, including British values, and beliefs including respect, morality and an understanding of cultural diversity.
At Heather Avenue we utilise the SEAL resources to support our teaching of PSHE.

Our curriculum Policy is available for further information if required. Please see school secretary.

All classes learn through a new topic each term. The teachers plan each new theme ensuring coverage of learning identified as part of the Early Year Foundation Stage, in relation to stage and the interests of the children in Reception or in line with our school curriculum maps, which are based on the 2014 National Curriculum for children in years one and two.